Applicator with reservoir for liquids



Aug. 21, 1951 G, T'RILL 2,565,104

APPLICATOR WITH RESERVOIR FOR LIQUIDS Filed April 17, 1948 I nvenlorPatented Aug. 21, 1951 APPLICATOR WITH RESERVOIR FOR LIQUIDS GordonTrill, Market Rasen, England Application April 1'7, 1948, Serial No.21,593 In Great Britain May 6, 1947 '2 Claims. 1

Thi invention relates to means for feeding a brush with liquid andparticularly a liquid for dyeing hair of the head or a liquid forbleaching hair, of the type in which the handle of the brush forms areservoir from which liquid is permitted to flow by admitting air to thereservoir by Way of a finger operated valve. It is one of the objects ofthe invention to provide means for controlling the fiow of liquid withgreat precision by the hand holding the brush and during the actualapplication of the brush to the head of hair.

Another object of the invention is to provide means preventing liquid toreach the control means for the liquid flow.

According to another feature of the invention, the brush head may haveflat surfaces on opposite sides for being held between the thumb andfingers.

These and other objects of the invention will be pointed out in thefollowing description and claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing which discloses, by way of example, the principle of theinvention and preferred modes which have been contemplated for applyingsaid principle.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection of an appliance on line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on line II-II of Figure 3, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

According to one convenient form of the invention, the brush head I hasa handle 2 detachably fixed thereto and the handle is hollow to form areservoir for hair dye, hair bleach, or the like. The brush head has ascrew threaded stem 3 and the brush handle may be in the form of atransparent tube closed at the outer end and screw threaded at the innerend for engaging the said screwed stem. The brush head has anunobstructed liquid conduit 4 passing lengthwise thereof forcommunication with the hollow handle when the latter is attached to thebrush head. The conduit 4 further communicates with a transverse channel5 from which pass a number of ducts 6 into the brush proper so that anevenly distributed feed of liquid to the base of the hair dye applyingmember or applicator I3 is obtained. The diameter of passageway orconduit 4 and of the liquid ducts 6 is approximately the same butcomparatively small in respect to channel 5 and tube I I, so that air isnormally prevented from entering through ducts 6 into the handlereservoir and consequently liquid will not normally be dischargedtherefrom. The brush head has fiat faces I4 on opposite sides so thatthe brush head can be conveniently held between the fingers and thumb ofthe hand holding the brush. A valve is mounted in a cylindrical airchamber 1 passing transversely through the brush head, the chamber Ibeing of reduced diameter on one side to provide a hole [5 passingthrough the wall of the chamber and a shoulder forming the valve seat.The valve head 8 is located below the seat and a stem passes therefromthrough the hole and such stem has a head or finger piece 9. thereon. Ahelical spring is located between the valve head 8 and a plug I0 forclosing the inner end of the air chamber I in the brush head, so thatthe valve is normally spring pressed into the closed position. Thefinger piece lies above a fiat surface I4 so that it is convenientlyplaced for being depressed by a finger of the hand holding the brush.Passing from the chamber I below the valve seating is an air pipe IIwhich passes down the stern of the brush head and into the reservoir I2.When the Valve is depressed air can enter through said hole [5 of largerdiameter than the stem 3a of the valve into the recess I below theseating from which the air pipe passes and into such pipe I I. Whentherefore the valve is depressed, air is allowed to enter the reservoirpermitting liquid to be discharged into the applicator I3. The amount ofair allowed to flow into the reservoir is regulated by the valve andthus the discharge of liquid is also regulated and the flow can beinstantly stopped by releasing pressure on the head of the valve. Thusby this invention a very delicate control of the feed to the brush headis obtained thereby enabling the operator to apply the hair dye or thelike exactly as required. Skillful treatment of the hair can thus beobtained and hair dye or the like can be applied with great safety andgreat delicacy of control.

The reservoir handle 2 may be transparent and graduated so that therequired amount of liquid or proportions of liquids are placed in thehandle. A liquid trap It is provided in the air tube II to trap anyliquid which might leak down the tube I I, thereby preventing hair dyereaching the valve which would quickly damage the valve. The brushapplying material or applicator I3 may be sponge rubber, or bristles,fixed in a recess in the brush head.

The brush is held in the hand with fingers on the flat side of the brushhead opposite the head 9 of the valve so that the thumb can be applied 3to head 9 to manipulate the discharge of hair dye, and therefore theflow of liquid can be controlled whilst the brush is applying dye to thehair of the head, which is very important to secure the necessarydelicacy of application of the dye.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for applying hair dye and other liquid substances to a,surface; comprising a brush head having an applicator projectingtherefrom, a container for receiving liquidfi'xid to said brush head andformin a handle, an air inlet tube extending from said brush lieaid-intothe interior of said container and adapted to communicate with theatmosphere,'a--;fin'ger-.operated valve mounted on said brush head andadapted to control inlet of air into said inlet tube, a transversechannel in said 'brush head, an unobstructed conduit arrangedindependently of said valve and extending "for communication betweensaid container and said channel of said brush head, and feed ductsextending between inga liquidtr'ap incorporated in said air inlet tubeto prevent access of liquid through said air inlet tube to said valve.

GORDON TRILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the "file'ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,183,680 Sauer May 16, 19161,348,681 Wright Aug. 3, 1920 1,606,156 Elzi- Nov. 9, 1926 1,904,041Evans Apr. 18, 1933 2,435,123 Biro Aug. 2, 1944

